RoadVitals

1997 BMW 540IA Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Feb 10, 2006
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
3
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 BMW 540IA, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine1083.3%
  • Airbags18.3%
  • Suspension18.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

10
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

1. BROUGHT MY CAR TO FIRESTONE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR IN LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA AND HAD THE THERMOSTAT REPLACED - WORK COMPLETED BY FIRESTONE - 2-5 DAYS LATER WENT TO BEVERLY HILLS BMW TO HAVE COOLANT RESEVOIR REPLACED WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW THERMOSTAT (JUST REPLACED AT FIRESTONE) AND WATER PUMP AND THAT I HAD A MAJOR ENGINE LEAK (LATER WAS TOLD I HAD A MINOR ENGINE LEAK NOT WORTH REPAIR AT THAT POINT) - HAD WATER PUMP REPLACED. - RECIEVED VEHICLE FROM BEVERLY HILLS BMW WITH THE ENGINE COVER REMOVED AND VEHICLE NOT CHECKED AS ASKED - THIS TOOK 3 WEEKS! 2. THE PROBLEM: WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON THE HWY 2 HOURS FROM MY HOUSE AN EXPLOSION OCCURED IN THE ENGINE BAY OF THE VEHICLE. 4 PEICES OF THE FAN HAD SHOT THROUGH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE MAKING A LARGE 1 INCH SLIT ACCROS THE ENTIRE HOOD AND APPROX 1 INCH HOLE THE WHOLE LENGTH. ALMOST LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED! PULLED OVER TO FIND THAT MY FAN WAS COMPLETLY GONE (THE PLASTIC PARTS HAD COMPLETLY EXPLODED FROM THE FAN CLUTCH AND GONE THROUGH THE HOOD AND LOOK TO HAVE TORE MANY HOSES INSIDE THE ENGINE BAY) AND COOLANT WAS LEAKING OUT (MY COOLING SYSTEM HAD BEEN COMPLETLY REPLACED WHITIN THE LAST 4 WEEKS). 3. TOWED THE CAR TO HARLOFF BMW WHERE THEY SUSPECTED THAT BEVERLY HILLS BMW FORGOT TO TIGHTEN THE FAN WHEN THEY REMOVED IT FOR SERVICE TO THE WATER PUMP. BEVERLY HILLS BMW REFUSED TO SERVICE THE CAR AT HARLOFF BMW AND TOWED THE VEHICLE TO BEVERLY HILLS BMW WHERE I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF AND NOT TO WORRY. WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THIS IS MY FAULT AND THAT THEY SAID MY FAN WAS GOING BAD (NOT TRUE - HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE THIS AND NOW THEY SEEM TO HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO SAY OTHERWISE FRAUD?). DAMAGE: THE HOOD, MANY INTERNAL ENGINE BAY PARTS I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER CASES OF THIS. EITHER BMW IS NOT SERVICING THIS PART OR THAT THEY CUT SOME CORNERS IN DESIGNING THE ENGINE FAN THERE IS NO WAY THAT AN ENGINE FAN SHOULD EVER EXPLODE THROUGH THE ENGINE HOOD!!! *NM

NHTSA ID 10144815 · filed Dec 8, 2005

A FAULTY RADIATOR DESIGN (PLASTIC NECK?) CAUSED MY 97 BMW 540IA TO BREAK DOWN ON THE FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR. *NM

NHTSA ID 10062386 · filed Mar 17, 2004
All 10 reports naming engine →

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED IT WAS DUE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE WEIGHT SYSTEM. *NLM *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID 10019942 · filed Jul 3, 2003

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I HAVE A 1997 540 BMW WITH 180,000 MI. INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF A FLAT DRIVER SIDE RIGHT FRONT TIRE I DISCOVERED THE FRONT SPRING STRUT PLATE WAS CRACKED AND ALLOWED ITSELF AND THE COIL SPRING TO CONTACT AND CUT DOWN THE TIRE. FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 04V183000 DESCRIBING EXACT CONDITION. TOWED TO DEVON HILL BMW IN PA. THEY WILL NOT PAY TO REPLACE SPRING STRUT PLATE. THEY STATE BMW DOES NOT SELL THE SPRING STRUT PLATE SEPARATE FROM THE STRUT AND SINCE I INSTALL AFTERMARKET BILSTIEN STRUTS AT 108,000 MI. WHICH REQUIRES THE INSTALLER TO USE THE EXISTING SPRING STRUT PLATE BMW IS NOT RESPONSIBLE. THERE IS ALSO A RECORD OF THE CAR BEING AT ANOTHER BMW DEALER AT 135,000 MILES WHERE THE REPAIR ORDER NOTES THE RECALL AND STATES THEY INSPECT STRUTS AND STATE NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED. NO MENTION OF RETAINING CLIP INSTALLATION AS DESCRIBED IN THE REMEDY SECTION OF THE CAMPAIGN. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE 40,000 MI. I CALL BMW AND REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER WHICH HAS NOT CHANGED HIS POSITION. *NM

NHTSA ID 10149990 · filed Feb 10, 2006

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .